Paris MoU Reports 113 MLC Detentions in First Year

The Paris MoU reports 113 ship detentions related to Maritime Labour Convention 2006 deficiencies in the first twelve months since the convention was entered into force.

The 113 detentions represents 17.4% of the total number of ship detentions -649- in Paris MoU ports during this same period.

The MLC 2006 entered into force on August 20, 2013. The convention has been hailed as the ‘Seafarer Bill of Rights’ as it protects the world’s 1.5 million seafarers from substandard living and working conditions aboard ships. It has also been called fourth pillar of maritime next to SOLAS, STCW and MARPOL.

According to the new figures released by the Paris MoU, during MLC 2006’s first year of enforcement, Paris MoU Authorities flagged 3,447 MLC-related deficiencies, representing 7.4% of the total 46,798 recorded during the same period. Of the 3,447 recorded, 160 of the deficiencies were marked as cause for detention, resulting in 113 ships being detained, the numbers showed.

Paris MoU reports that detainable deficiencies were most frequently recorded in the areas “payment of wages” (39,5%), and “manning levels for the ship” (28.6%). Other areas with high deficiency levels are “health and safety and accident prevention” (43.1%), “food and catering” (15.4%) and “accommodation” (10%). The numbers did not elaborate on what type of ships the detentions were related to.

The Paris MoU consists of 27 participating maritime Administrations covering waters of the European coast States and North Atlantic. Current member States of the Paris MoU include Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, the Russian Federation, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Together Paris MoU Authorities conduct more than 18.000 inspections annually on board foreign ships within Paris MoU ports.